The U.S. and Afghan governments have started secret 3-way talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told The Wall Street Journal, revealing an important breakthrough in efforts to end the ten-year war.

Mr. Karzai, whose government had complained about being left out of recent talks between Washington and the Taliban, added he thinks most Taliban are “definitively” interested in a peace settlement.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that people in Afghanistan want peace, which includes the Taliban. They are also people like everyone else. They have families, they have relatives, they have children, they are going through a tough time.

Mr. Karzai stated in the interview Wednesday in his office at the Arg Palace in Kabul that there have been contacts between the U.S. government and the Taliban, there have been talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and there have been some contacts that everyone has made, all of us together, including the Taliban.

He refused to specify the location of the talks or go into any more details, saying he was concerned that could damage the process.

Mr. Karzai’s remarks give the suggestion that progress in tentative peace efforts as President Barack Obama starts withdrawing forces and is preparing for the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

U.S. officials gave caution against reading too much into what came out of the 3-way session, which was held in the past month to prepare the ground for further contacts.

Taliban spokesmen could not be reached to comment.

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